Combined shipping and display package



July 22, 1941. w. T. BOUCHELLE 2,249,831

COMBINED SHIPPING AND DISPLAY PACKAGE Filed May 2, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet l I ZBazzckelle IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

COMBINED SHIPPING AND DISPLAY PACKAGE Filed May 2, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 4/ T 9 4f Wflflouchelle /0 INVENTOR.

\ I I I BY 4 I I 72 ATTORNEYS.

July 22, 1941. w. T. BOUCHELLE COMBINED SHIPPING AND DISPLAY PACKAGE Filed May 2, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented July 22, 1941 COMBINED SHIPPING AND DISPLAY PACKAGE William Bouchelle, Baltimore, Md, assignor to The Lord Baltimore Press, Baltimore, Md.

Application May 2, 1939, Serial No. 271,393

((31. ZN-4i) 7 Claims.

This invention relates to a package for use as a holder for small articles of merchandise so that they can be conveniently handled and shipped and which also can be used for displaying the merchandise after the package has been broken. An object of the invention is to provide an expansible basket which, under normal conditions, is held contracted within a shell constituting the closure of the basket and adapted, when released from the basket, to permit expansion of said basket so that all of the contents of the shell can be contained within and be displayed from the released basket.

A further object is to provide a package the members of which can be readily formed, printed and assembled.

Another object is to combine with the basket and shell a means for preventing crushing of the contents of the basket and shell as the result of relative movement of the parts while the package is being handled.

A still further object is to combine with a contractible basket, a shell which constitutes a closure for the basket as well as a means for holding the basket contracted, the capacity of the shell being greater than that of the basket when contracted but substantially equal to that of the basket when released and expanded.

A still further object is to provide a package the bottom portion of which is formed by a basket partly housed in the shell and which can be held assembled with the shell by a seal which, when broken, will release the shell for withdrawal from the basket.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred forms of the invention have been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a package constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section therethrough.

Figure 3 is a section on line 33, Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the inner side of one corner portion of the basket when contracted, while being held under restraint by the shell portion of the package.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the basket released by the removal of the restraining shell therefrom.

Figure 6 is a rear elevation of a modified form of basket, the same being shown by full lines in contracted position and, by broken lines, in extended or expanded position.

Figure '7 is an elevation of one side of the basket shown in Figure 6, the same being shown by full lines in contracted position and by broken lines in expanded position.

Figure 8 is a plan view of one of the back corners of the basket shown in Figure 6.

Figure 9 is a similar View showing the basket expanded.

Figure 10 is a plan view of the corner portion of a slightly modified form of basket contracted. Figure 11 is a similar View showing the basket expanded.

Figure 12 is a perspective view of a reenforcing filler or liner adapted to be placed in a basket while contained within the shell portion of the package, thereby to hold the basket against upward sliding movement within the shell.

Figure 13 is a vertical section through a package equipped with the liner shown in Figure 14.

Figure 14 is a transverse section through a basket in which the folded liner is used for display purposes.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference l designates a shell preferably in the form of a carton or folding box of cardboard or the like having overlying and interlocking flaps 2 and 3 at one end while the other end is open. Prior to use this shell can be folded flat after the flaps 2 and 3 have been opened.

As before stated the end of the shell remote from the flaps is open and this end is adapted to extend around and to be closed by the basket portion of the package. This basket portion can be of diiierent constructions. In the forms shown in Figures 2 to 5 inclusive it is formed of a single piece of cardboard cut and scored to provide a bottom 4, upstanding walls 5, and wings 8. One wing extends from each wall and is integral with one side thereof. Each wing is joined in any suitable manner, as by means of a staple 1 or other securing means, to the adjacent wall and that portion of each wing between the two walls to which it is joined, is centrally scored from the top to the bottom thereof, as indicated at 8 so that the wing is thus capable of folding inwardly as shown in Figures 3 and 4. When the of the basket can be formed with triangular side wings It! the free longitudinal edge of each of which has an extending head II with a slot l2 extending upwardly thereinto along the line of the adjacent edge of the wing so as thus to define a nose l3 on the head. The adjacent side walls M of the basket are provided with arcuate slots [5 into which the respective noses l3 project so that it is thus possible to swing the front wall 9 outwardly relative to the side walls and at the same time swing the side walls laterally relative to each other at which time the heads II will slide along the outer faces of the side walls I4 and cause the noses Hi to travel within the slots [5.

Each side wall is provided at the back with similar triangular wings I6 each having a laterally extending head I! with a slot 18 extending upwardly thereinto like slots l2 in the heads H. The wings on the two sides are extended toward each other and lap the back wall [9 of the basket which has arcuate slots 20 in which the noses 2| of the heads I! project. Thus with this fold arrangement at each corner of the basket, it is possible for all four walls of the basket to be swung apart or to be closed together, the wings, during this relative movement, flexing transversely to permit such expansion and contraction of the basket. By thus forming the basket with the tongues at the sides and back only, any suitable printed matter can be displayed on the front surface.

Another form of corner fold has been disclosed in Figures 10 and 11 wherein, instead of providing one wing on each wall of the container, each 7 larly in Figure 11 and being attached thereto in any suitable manner, as by means of a staple 24 orthe like. Thus when the basket is contracted,

' the lapping wings will fold inwardly as shown in Figure 10 and, when the basket is expanded, these wings will straighten out as shown in figure 11.

Irrespective of the construction of the contractible and expansible basket, the shell used can be the same and when the basket is contracted the end of the shell provided with closure flaps 2 and 3 is opened and the basket is then inserted bottom downward through said open end until the bottom 4 of the basket reaches the open bottom of the shell. This downward insertion of the basket results in the folding of the corner wings as shown in Figures 2 and 3 and the basket terminates "at the top below the top level of the shell. The basket and shell are then filled with th material to be packaged. This can be in the nature of candy, or other comparatively small articles and after the shell and basket have been filled the closure parts 2 and 3 are folded as in Figures 1 and 2 and a gummed tape 25 is wrapped around and affixed to the shell and basket as shown at 25. Thus the basket will be joined to other by the walls of the shell at the bottom and the flap 2 will be held closed.

To open the package the tape 25 is broken along the bottom edges of the shell. This releases the bottom of the basket from the shell and by pulling upwardly on the shell it will withdraw from the basket until the walls of the basket are released and swing outwardly. This outward swinging action is due to the weight of the contents of the shell, these contents settling downwardly within the shell so as to fill the basket when it is opened and leave the material where it can be easily displayed. It is intended to make the capacity of the basket when open equal to the capacity of the shell and basket when closed.

Under some conditions it is desirable to hold the basket fixedly in the shell so that it cannot be pushed upwardly and crush the contents of the basket. One means of doing this is to strike ears 26 inwardly from opposed walls of the shell so that they can lap opposed walls of the basket. Another way is to provide a foldable liner 2'! to be seated in the'basket and extend upwardly to the top of theshell,-this liner being box-like and open at the top and bottom. The liner, when folded, can be used as a display card as shown in Figure 14.

Obviously with either of the means stated, thrust of the basket upwardly toward the closed or top end of the shell is prevented and should the contents of the package be of an easily broken nature, the cars 26 or the liner would serve to prevent them from becoming crushed. Should ears 26 be struck inwardly from the shell as shown in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, the tape 25 would close the openings left by the ears so that the package would remain properly sealed.

When the liner 2'! is used for display purposes, as in Figure 14, a portion of the liner is made with two of its walls shorter than the remaining walls so that when the liner is folded, these shorter walls can be inserted downwardly into the basket as shown in Figure 14.

What is claimed is:

1. A package including a collapsible shell open at one end, a closure at the other end of the shell, a basket having relatively movable walls, connections between the walls at the corners of the basket, said basket constituting a closure for the open end of the shell and the walls of the basket being held pressed inwardly toward each other by the walls of the shell, the walls of the basket being releasable for outward movement relative to each other when the basket is removed from the shell, and means within the shell and engaging the basket for holding said basket against upward movement within the shell, said means including a tongue integral with and proecting inwardly from the shell and positioned to overlie the top edge of the basket.

2. A package'including a collapsible shell open at one end, a closure at the other end of the shell, a basket having relatively movable walls, connections between the walls at the corners of the basket, said basket constituting a closure for the open end of the shell and the walls of the basket being held pressed inwardly toward each the shell, the walls of the basket beingreleasable for outward movement relative to each other when the basket is removed from the shell, and means within the shell and engaging the basket for holding said basket agamst upward movement within the shell, said means including a tongue integral with and projecting inwardly from the shell and positioned to overlie the top edge of the basket, and a tape extending around the shell and in engagement with the bottom of the basket, said tape constituting a closure for an opening in the shell formed by the tongue.

3. A package including a collapsible shell open at one end, a closure at the other end of the shell, a basket having relatively movable walls, connections between the walls .at the corners of the basket, said basket constituting a closure for the open end of the shell and the walls of the basket being held pressed inwardly toward each other by the walls of the shell, the Walls of the basket being releasable for outward movement relative to each other when the basket is removed from the shell, and means within the shell and engaging the basket for holding said basket against upward movement within the shell, said means including opposed tongues pressed inwardly from the walls of the shell and providing openings in the walls, said tongues engaging the adjacent edges of the basket, and a fastening means extending around the shell and engaging the bottom of the basket, said means constituting a closure for the openings.

4. A package including a collapsible shell open at one end, a closure at the other end of the shell, a basket having relatively movable walls, connections between the walls at the corners of the basket, said basket constituting a closure for the open end of the shell and the walls of the basket being held pressed inwardly toward each other by the walls of the shell, the walls of the basket being releasable for outward movement relative to each other when the basket is removed from the shell, and means within the shell and engaging the basket for holding said basket against upward movement Within the shell, said means including a liner seated in the basket and extending to the top end of the shell.

5. A package including a foldable shell, closure flaps at one end thereof, the other end of the shell being open, a basket constituting a closure for the open end of the shell, said basket including walls mounted to swing outwardly relative to each other when the basket is withdrawn from the shell, means for connecting the walls of the basket at the corners when the basket is extended or contracted, and a fastening strip extending around the shell and joined thereto and to the bottom of the basket for holding the shell and basket assembled, said strip being. also extended across and constituting securing means for the closure flaps.

6. A package for holding loose bulk material including a basket having walls mounted for relative swinging movement to spread the basket and increase its capacity, means for closing the corners of the basket, said means constituting connections between the ends of the walls, said connections providing means for limiting the relative swinging movement of the basket walls, a shell surrounding the basket and closed thereby at the bottom, said shell constituting means for holding the Walls of the basket against spreading movement, said shell having a filling opening at the top, and a closure for the opening, said shell, when removed from the basket, constituting means for releasing the walls of the basket for spreading movement under the weight of the contents of the basket and shell, the capacity of the expanded basket being not less than the maximum capacity of the assembled shell and basket, and means within the shell and engaging the basket for holding the basket against movement towards the top of the shell away from the bottom thereof.

'7. A package for holding loose bulk material including a basket having Walls mounted for relative swinging movement to spread the basket and increase its capacity, means for closing the corners of the basket, said means constituting connections between the ends of the walls, said connections providing means for limiting the relative swinging movement of the basket walls, a shell surrounding the basket and closed thereby at the bottom, said shell constituting means for holding the walls of the basket against spreading movement, said shell having a filling opening at the top, and a closure for the opening, said shell, when removed from the basket, constituting means for releasing the walls of the basket for spreading movement under the weight of the contents of the basket and shell, the capacity of the expanded basket being not less than the maximum capacity of the assembled shell and basket, and means extended around the shell and basket and secured to the top and bottom of the package for holding the shell and basket against separation.

WILLIAM T. BOUCHELLE 

